Benzene

Benzene is a colorless, sweet-smelling chemical that forms naturally in crude oil and is produced when things burn. It is used to make plastics, rubber, dyes, and other chemicals. Health agencies classify benzene as a known human carcinogen, and long-term exposure is most strongly linked to blood cancers such as acute myeloid leukemia.

Benzene is not an ingredient anyone intends to put in a drug or cosmetic. It shows up as a contaminant, for example from contaminated raw materials, propellants in aerosol sprays, or, in the case of benzoyl peroxide acne products, from the active ingredient breaking down. Since 2021, recalls of sunscreens, dry shampoos, deodorant sprays, and antifungal sprays have followed independent lab testing that found benzene.

On March 11, 2025, the FDA announced that it had tested 95 acne products containing benzoyl peroxide and that six were being recalled at the retail level for elevated benzene levels. The FDA also noted that the maker of Zapzyt Acne Treatment Gel recalled that product after its own testing. The agency said most products it tested had undetectable or extremely low benzene.

In litigation, benzene claims usually take one of two forms. Consumer class actions argue that people paid for products that should not have been sold because they were contaminated, and seek refunds. Personal injury claims argue that long-term benzene exposure caused a specific cancer, which requires much stronger proof of exposure and medical causation. See our pages on benzoyl peroxide benzene lawsuits and deodorant lawsuits for current cases.